SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--With its core value of “implementation,” the 7th World Water
Forum will take place in Daegu & Gyeongbuk of Korea from April 12 to 17,
2015. The World Water Forum is the largest water-related event organized
by the World Water Council every three years.

The 7th edition of the world’s largest water event will
gather over 35,000 participants from the international water community:
academics, research institutions, enterprises, professional networks,
governments and policy-makers, IGOs and NGOs.

The water crisis has become a key international challenge

For instance, in the Global Risks 2014 Report by the World Economic
Forum in January 2014, water crisis was listed as one of ten major risk
factors threatening the world economy. The water challenges require
joint responses, not a solution at an individual country level. In this
regard, the World Water Forum provides the discussion framework for
water-related issues by mobilizing international cooperation.

A political, regional, thematic and scientific preparation

The World Water Forum consists of four Processes: the Thematic Process
discusses themes and shares information; the Political Process
facilitates discussions among ministers, parliamentarians and local &
regional authorities in order to raise awareness of global water
challenges as well as call for political will of governments, policy
makers, etc.; the Regional Process provides a place for participants to
discuss solutions related to water issues among neighboring countries
while highlighting region-specific issues.

In addition to these three Processes, Korea proposed in its bid document
to have a Science & Technology Process highlighting the importance of
science and technology in resolving water-related issues. It is expected
that the Science & Technology Process will contribute to encourage the
exchange of latest technologies and information and bridging the gap
between developed and developing nations. The 7th World Water
Forum will also be composed of cultural events, water co-located events,
a water exhibition, and a Citizen’s Forum, including a Youth and
Children’s Forum, to raise citizens’ awareness in favor of water.

2015: A crucial year for Water and Development

The year 2015 is highly significant because the Millennium Development
Goals set in 2000 will expire and the international community will
establish new goals. In this context, it is expected that the 7th
World Water Forum will discuss key agenda related to water as well as
become the starting point for the Sustainable Development Goals, the new
goals that the global community should pursue for the next 15 years.

In celebration of D-300 of the 7th World Water Forum, the
National Committee held a ceremony on June 19 in Daegu to create an
uplifting atmosphere for the coming 7th World Water Forum.

The registration for the 7th World Water Forum will start in
August and the registration for Expo and co-located events will start in
July through the official website (http://eng.worldwaterforum7.org/en).